Mountain Biking - Water - Hydration pack vs Bottles

Just got my first mountain bike (Giant XTC 1), couldn't keep on borrowing a friends. I can't decide one whether to go the hydration pack route or the water bottle route. If any of you guys can let me know how you feel about this I'd appreciate it. Thanks. :thumb:

DH

I started out on the small bottles. Who knew that it was going to be a "gateway" to the big beverages? I surely didn't see it coming. One day I started riding and found out that the small bottle just wasn't enough anymore...I started carrying two. Then I switched to "talls". Heck, man...next thing ya know you're strung out on a street corner with a 100oz hydration pak begging for change and asking yourself..."How did I let myself get this out of control?"

For now, I'm just going to take it one day at a time. It seems every time I turn around...it's back there. It's like this weight on my shoulders...kinda like it's strapped to me. I know I need help. I just don't think I'm strong enough to do it on my own.

My hydration pack has literally saved my back in a few occasions.

I started out on the small bottles. Who knew that it was going to be a "gateway" to the big beverages? I surely didn't see it coming. One day I started riding and found out that the small bottle just wasn't enough anymore...I started carrying two. Then I switched to "talls". Heck, man...next thing ya know you're strung out on a street corner with a 100oz hydration pak begging for change and asking yourself..."How did I let myself get this out of control?"

For now, I'm just going to take it one day at a time. It seems every time I turn around...it's back there. It's like this weight on my shoulders...kinda like it's strapped to me. I know I need help. I just don't think I'm strong enough to do it on my own.

I hear you ... one day at a time ... I got a monkey on my back ... :thumb:

It took me 2 years of kicking and screaming like a 3 year old before I finely would give in to a pack. Now i have been using one for close to 2 years, and i would never look back to bottles. You just need to find the one that works well for you. My wife bought me a Camelback Mule, and while its a really sweet pack, it was just to big for me, and I am a big freaken dude. But now I have settled on a Camelback Lobo, does not hold as much crap or H2O, but it works for me. Its all in preference. ;)

I think I would gauge it on your needs. It's easy to start small with a bottle and cage. If you begin to find that:

1) It's not enough water for most of your rides or
2) You go through slop that gunks up a bottle with dirt and cow crap on a regular basis or
3) You find yourself wanting to carry a multitool, tube or patches, pump, maybe car key and wallet and it's starting to get out of hand with an under-saddle pack and two water bottles and your light system and gawd knows what else hung all over the bike and it's time to consolidate.

Thanks for the replies so far (funny sh*t Chelboed :lol:).

I am leaning toward a pack for the main reason of holding gear (patches, levers, pump etc.). Seems better than buying another wedge pack and bottles and cages, when I can just have it all on my back.

when I can just have it all on my back.

same is true on the road bike.. its just not fashionable on a road bike. just like wedge packs and bottles on a mountain bike arent fashionable or practical.

same is true on the road bike.. its just not fashionable on a road bike. just like wedge packs and bottles on a mountain bike arent fashionable or practical.

Well, we certainly wouldn't want to be UN-fashionable on the road bike, now, would we?

"This Logger Plaid does NOT go with my azure-and-chocolate argyle team kit!"

"This Logger Plaid does NOT go with my azure-and-chocolate argyle team kit!":lol:

"This Logger Plaid does NOT go with my azure-and-chocolate argyle team kit!"

good god..

well its true, they don't go together..

hahaha so good.

Thanks for all the replies thus far,

I'm definitely going with a hydration pack. Now that that's figured out what packs are you guys fond of?

I'm diggin on the Lezyne packs (power pack, all pack, smart pack) http://www.lezyne.com/index.php/products/bags-packs.html. I hadn't heard about that company until this year I saw some of their stuff at the Sea Otter Classic pretty nice if you ask me.

Pack for all the reasons mentioned above. Can carry more water, can fit tool/pump/tube/ID/etc, and yeah, I've landed on my back on rocks before too, saved by a hydration pack.

As far as what pack, how much water do you think you need? What all do you want to carry? What are you willing to spend?

I'm in agreement with most, the Hydration pack is the way to go. I have two, 70oz razor for short rides and 100oz MULE for long rides.

Let us know what you end up getting.

I've been a big fan of my Dakine Session pack with a Camelbak bladder. D says the new Dakine bladders don't leak so far, so I'm hoping to become a full con-vert from Camelbak to Dakine with this new Drafter pack.

One thing I find when I wear a pack during a race in hot weather is how much heat it holds against my back. If it's really hot I opt for bottles a lot of the time and it makes it easier to dump water directly on your back.

I guzzle a lot of water, so I never started with bottles... Mainly as my bikes haven't came with cages.
I ride with a 2 liter (70 oz) hydro pack, and it has room for gear, tools, and some food.

I don't mind the extra weight, and honestly half the time I forget I have it. I like to be able to drink without removing my hands or diverting my attention from the trail, I just have to move me mouth and my shoulder a little bit.

I have a Hyrdapack AS Cargo. with a Camelback bladder.
It has 2 mesh outer pockets, a smaller, soft lined pocket for my valuables/glasses. Reflective helment clip band in the back. Has ample room for stoarage, and I can run the drinking hose out of 4 different places. left top/bottom and right top/bottom. So its rather diversable for different rider preferences. For the shorter rides, it zips up on its self and takes up all the excess storage room so it doesnt feel so bulky and flappy.

It does, hold in heat, but I'm used to it now.

I use a Jandd ... hmm... forgot the name. Daypack with 100-fluid-ounce reservoir. For long rides. Short rides, or longer rides when I know where the water fountains are, I use an Evian 1-litre bottle in the bottle cage. It's just enough to get me to the next water fountain in the hills.

I would go with a hydration pack. Especially if you are mountain biking. Don't worry if the road bikers dont think you look cool because youre wearing a hydration pack. I would look up some camelbaks. But try them on before you buy one. Some might feel weird when you wear them. I use a Camelback Mule. I love it. My wallet, keys and tools fit in nicely and holds enough water for a full trip.

Go for the pack. My 70oz lasts almost 2 hours without too much heat, but unless you start buying extra bottle cages and mounts you'd be hard pressed to get that much on without a bag of some sort.... then you can carry more in bottles if you need.



Plus you can carry tastier beverages in your bottles as you see fit :)

Dude, thanks again for all the input I didn't think I would receive this much help.

So I went down to one of the bike shops today and checked out some Camelbaks, Dakine, and Lezyne hydration packs. That being said I've narrowed it down to either the Dakine Drafter or Nomad. Personally I think the Dakine packs do look the best. I'll post again to let you guys know what I decide between in the end.

Gotta spend this Amazon card somehow. :lol:

I have a Camelback Classic. It doesn't hold gear (just a wallet) but does hold 2L of water. I have a large-ish bag under my saddle for the gear. On long rides I also bring a 1L bottle in a bottle cage. If I had to do it all again I'd probably get a 2L bag that also holds some gear, though not having the extra weight on my shoulders is nice.

I also have the Camelbak Classic and never look back at bottle cage

So this is what I ended up going for

http://shop.adventuresportsholidays.com/images/products/58294.jpg

Should be here within a week I hope. Thanks again everyone for the help.

Norcal, I believe I have that same model pack, but in a different color scheme.

One idea I haven't seen in this thread is the idea of using a pack for water and a bottle for sports drink. I've a friend who sometimes rolls that way.

Kewl!

I'm diggin my logger flannel Drafter 100oz...one thing I have learned in the short time I've used it...if you don't need all 100oz...don't pack it:lol: I went out for a Hydration Ride to see if I could purposely burn through 100oz. It was like 72 degrees...I ended up dumping out at least 1/2 of it mid-ride. I got sooo much faster with that weight off my back.:D

I love camel backs for trail riding commuting and anytime it's cooler, but the two weeks a year it's actually hot in my area and for races bottles all the way. I use bottles because I can't stand the heat of a camel back and during a race you can't just stop to cool down. However if all my jerseys and camel back were any other color it would not be as much of an issue, but I love the bad-ass-ness of black.

Jonathan - I was thinking about that as well or maybe a classy 32 of high life and some water. :thumb:

Chel -I almost ended up going with the logger flannel it was like $20 cheaper and I really do like the way it looks reminds me of a Pendleton, but do to too many ******** lil kids trying to prove sh*t around here I don't need something that can be considered gangsterish I also didn't want to bite off of your steez. :D

Who would have known you can't type r.e.t.a.r.d.e.d?

^^ Literacy level here usually inadvertently circumvents the safeguards: 'retarted' works :lol:,

:lol: Now I know, I'll remember to dumb it down for next time or type phonetically :lol:

camel packs are great until you race and end up getting extremely hot from it, in which case bottles ftw.

The Camelback MULE seems a good balance between H2O capacity (3l) and not being enormous.
Those Dakines can carry the water but are backpacks. You don't want unnecessarily big stuff on your back on a hot day.
EDIT: Oops! hadn't checked 2nd page. I'm sure the DK will be fine.

You need 24-28oz of fluid per hour, determine what you need to use by how far you have to go and when you can fill up again. I carry a bottle and a small 50oz camelback which is good for atleast 2.5 - 3 hours of hard riding.

You need 24-28oz of fluid per hour, determine what you need to use by how far you have to go and when you can fill up again. I carry a bottle and a small 50oz camelback which is good for atleast 2.5 - 3 hours of hard riding.

Can't go by that. I rode with a dude the other day in the "little apple" that went through 3/4 water bottle per my 70oz Dakine.

Hydration bladders are great. I don't see the point of a special "pack" though - I just bought the cheapest bladder I could find and I stick it in whatever backpack. Personally I find it really hard to use a drink bottle while mtb'ing, whereas it's fairly easy to use a hydration tube...

Oh, one other tip: some bladders come with a hard plastic valve on the end of the tube, plus the bite valve. I found it worked better to ditch the bite valve and just use the hard plastic one - the water comes out much faster then.

'Whatever packpack' may not work well for some folks and for some riding conditions. A pack that flops around on your back may be disconcerting, which is why many bike-specific packs have sternum/waist straps and compression straps for the pack contents. Many purpose-built packs also have ventilation built into the back to keep you cooler.

Just sayin'.

I haven't read the other posts, so forgive me if I repeat what anyone has said.

Go for the hydro pack. You can carry all your tools, your water, your lunch, your maps, w.e. you need to carry for a ride. You don't have to worry 'bout whether it'll fit in your saddle bag, or if you "really need that tool." You can just bring it all.

As well, the packs offer back protection. Although it hasn't helped me on a mountain ibke fall (yet), I've been saved on a road bike ride fall... kinda. Bag got torn up a bit at the bottom (as did my arm, hip and leg) ... I suppose that could've been my back.

You also don't have a chance of dropping the pack on the trail - I see 'nough water bottles on the trails to say no.

Packs look cool, bottles don't.

You can choose w.e. reason you want.

All this opinion is based on my experience with the Camelbak MULE. Expensive bag, yes. 3L capacity and plenty of cargo space. I take it with me on road rides and trail rides. Tough bag - lasted me a couple seasons so far and is still in great shape (aside from the tears on the bottom from the fall!).

Have a good one!

Can't go by that. I rode with a dude the other day in the "little apple" that went through 3/4 water bottle per my 70oz Dakine.

No matter what someone prefers to drink, the rule of proper hydration is 24 - 28oz per hour.

No matter what someone prefers to drink, the rule of proper hydration is 24 - 28oz per hour.

I do somewhat agree that it's a good starting point...but on a humid / hot day...I'm going to consume 3x the water that my construction-worker buddy will consume b/c I work in AC-65deg all day and sweat like a stuck pig in the heat.

It's not a "preference" as you put it...it's a necessity. Unless of course you're saying I "prefer" not to die of heat stroke:lol: It's just the way some people are. I rode for 2.5hrs in 75 degree low humidity weather and drank like a bottle of water or less. When the heat/humidity goes up...my requirement for hydration goes up exponentially.

Got the Nomad last night when I got home from school. I must say it looks pretty cool in person (I hadn't seen this color in the shop). I'll be taking it out on a ride today, I'll let you guys know what I think about it this weekend or Monday sometime.

I like the pack for the mountain bike. It's alot of water and a place to hold some stuff.
Also, I don't like having the water bottle since it can catch some dirt/mud.